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Live and Let Die (1973)
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I understand completely, David. It's all about expectations.

If you're a fan of the M.I. television series, you appreciate certain aspects of the show's premise, and as long as it stayed true to that premise, it gave you the kind of stories you wanted.

I fully agree that the premise was drastically changed for the Cruise movies. Your comparison of the M.I. series to The Sting was perfect! Very Happy

Imagine a group of Hollywood producers getting together and saying, "Hey, let's get Robert Redford and Paul Newman back to make a sequel!"

"But The Sting was a bit dull, so let's make a few changes for the second movie. Like, we can put in several exciting shoot outs. And instead of Redford and Newman doing all the boring conman stuff, we'll make 'em bank robbers!"

"Oh, and we can change it to a more exciting period in history! That way we won't have those boring policemen and FBI agents chasing the guys — we can have real fast-paced chases!

"And it needs a sexy love interest . . . somebody like Katharine Ross. What do you think, guys?"

Viola'! The exciting sequel to The Sting!




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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Apr 23, 2020 2:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17018
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Was that boat chase as good as we remember?

Well, here's the first few minutes of it. You decide. Very Happy
________________________________



__ Live and Let Die - High-Flying Speedboat Chase


__________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Apr 23, 2020 2:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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The Spike
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Joined: 23 Sep 2014
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Location: Birmingham. Great Britain.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

More Action. More Excitement. More Adventure.

Live and Let Die is directed by Guy Hamilton and adapted to screenplay by Tom Mankiewicz from the novel written by Ian Fleming. It stars Roger Moore, Yaphet Koto, Jane Seymour, David Hedison, Julius W Harris, Gloria Hendry, Earl Jolly Brown, Clifton James and Geoffrey Holder. Music is scored by George Martin and cinematography by Ted Moore.

Bond 8 and 007 is assigned to investigate the recent murders of MI6 agents in New Orleans, San Monique and New York. Suspicion falls on San Monique ruler Dr Kananga, a man who has definite links to Harlem crime lord Mr Big. As 007 digs deeper he uncovers a plot to corner the world's heroin market, but halting such a plan is hindered by the presence of voodoo in his midst.

Connery was gone, for good this time, no amount of cash would entice him to don the tuxedo for a "legitimate" Bond movie again....... This meant that producers Broccoli & Saltzman would be showcasing the third actor to play James Bond in a four year period! After the fall out of the casting of Lazenby in OHMSS, it was agreed that a established actor was needed this time around. Timothy Dalton was mooted, as he was for OHMSS (he was never offered the role though until 1986), but it came down to just two actors, Roger Moore & Michael Billington. Billington would screen test for the role of 007 a few times in his life but never landed the coveted role, as a sweetener he got to play a minor character in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me. So Roger Moore it was, someone the producers knew quite well and who was well in vogue after starring in The Persuaders and The Saint. He also was honoured to play the role, wanted it badly and accepted the fanaticism that went with it.

Moore's take on Bond the man was a world away from Connery, and rightly so, but Live and Let Die is not far removed from Connery's last outing, Diamonds Are Forever. In truth it's a weak script, with Mankiewicz probably under orders from above to play to Moore's strengths and keep the overt humour and cartoon escapades as a selling point. The decision to pitch Bond into a world of voodoo is a good one, and it was not, as some believe, an attempt to grasp the tails of the Blacksploitation market that had made waves in the early 70s. It's a better film than Diamonds Are forever, without doubt. The villains are memorably played, though Kananga's (Koto) demise is indicative of the daftness that would blight many Bond movies from here on in, and in Hamilton's hands the action, especially an adrenalin pumping speedboat chase, is quality entertainment. Top blunderbuss theme tune, too, from Paul McCartney & Wings. While Felix Leiter is back on good charming form in the hands of Hedison (a real life friend of Moore and it shows).

Problems elsewhere, though, stop this from being a great Bond movie. Much of the film is made up of scenes that are played purely for smiles rather than for dramatic purpose. In short a Bond movie has stopped taking itself seriously. The introduction of Sheriff Pepper (James) is pointless, the beautiful Seymour shows promise but then becomes one of "those" Bond girls who is a liability to 007 outside of the bedroom, and the film is padded out with scenes that offer nothing important to the story. Hendry's Rosie Carver is a dope and poorly written, though it gave Bond his first inter-racial "dalliance", something that the producers were nervous about behind the scenes. While there's no Q! And George Martin's score is very hit and miss.

A new actor playing Bond and many failings in the picture, could Bond still succeed? Yes indeed! Moore, in spite of not getting good page to work from and getting stick from the critics, put his own stamp on the role by looking smooth, having an excellent vocal delivery and being someone the girls wanted to bed and the boys wanted to be. The box office sang to the tune of over $160 million, over $40 million more than Diamonds Are Forever. The tag-line ran "More Action, More Excitement, More Adventure", though not entirely accurate, there was indeed an abundance of fun play and gadgets are us (Felix Lighter, priceless). Bond was set to continue coining it in for the foreseeable future, but the dye had been cast and Bond ran the risk of becoming purely a cartoon caricature..... 7/10

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Krel
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A personal story. Back when the movie came out I had a friend that wanted me to go see the movie with him. He was anxious to see the film because his Dad did some work for the film. For the scene where Bond sends a pursuing speedboat into the landing boat for a large explosion, his Dad did the explosive charges. I guess it was easier and cheaper to get a local with the proper licenses to do the job.

There is a publicity of Roger Moore with a wine glass as the fireball rises out of the boat in the background. This led to Roger Moore being very careful about when they wanted him to do stunts in the films. If he got injured during the first few weeks of filming, then the production could claim the insurance money, recast the part and continue on with the film. If he got injured during the last few weeks, then they could claim the insurance and finish the film with his doubles.

David.
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The Spike
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Joined: 23 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2020 8:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Krel wrote:
A personal story. Back when the movie came out I had a friend that wanted me to go see the movie with him. He was anxious to see the film because his Dad did some work for the film. For the scene where Bond sends a pursuing speedboat into the landing boat for a large explosion, his Dad did the explosive charges. I guess it was easier and cheaper to get a local with the proper licenses to do the job.

There is a publicity of Roger Moore with a wine glass as the fireball rises out of the boat in the background. This led to Roger Moore being very careful about when they wanted him to do stunts in the films. If he got injured during the first few weeks of filming, then the production could claim the insurance money, recast the part and continue on with the film. If he got injured during the last few weeks, then they could claim the insurance and finish the film with his doubles.

David.

Krel, just read all your posts on the Bond threads, just wanted to say thanks for interesting facts and thoughts etc.

Big thumbs up.

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